Free Republic

Japan Airlines has teamed up with Sumitomo Corporation to launch a trial of a clothing sharing service, which is called “Any Wear, Anywhere.” The idea is that foreign tourists and business travelers landing in Japan on JAL will be able to rent clothes for their trip, meaning they just have to bring their underwear and socks. Here’s how JAL describes the concept behind this service:

The Japanese company that owns tire maker Dunlop shuttered a century-old New York factory — and fired 1,500 workers — as it moved manufacturing overseas. Sumitomo Corp, the Tokyo-based conglomerate that boasts a market capitalization of more than $25 billion, closed down the Dunlop plant located in Tonawanda, near Buffalo, on Nov. 7. The closure is the latest blow to the Western New York area, which like much of the Rust Belt has seen its manufacturing sector decimated by companies shifting production overseas in recent decades. The company said that cost controls and investments in the aging facility were not...

UYUNI, Bolivia: In the rush to build the next generation of hybrid or electric cars, a sobering fact confronts both automakers and governments seeking to lower their reliance on foreign oil: almost half of the world's lithium, the mineral needed to power the vehicles, is found here in Bolivia - a country that may not be willing to surrender it so easily. Japanese and European companies are busily trying to strike deals to tap the resource, but a nationalist sentiment is building quickly in the government of President Evo Morales, an ardent critic of the United States who has already...

Lockheed Martin Corp. won a $168 million contract from the Vietnamese government to build and launch the country's first telecommunications satellite, state media reported on Friday. The U.S. firm, which beat Alcatel of France and Japan's Sumitomo Corp. in a tender this week, is scheduled to sign the contract with the state-run Vietnam Posts and Telecommunication Corp on Friday, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. The government has ordered the satellite to be launched on May 23, 2008, three years later than originally planned following extended negotiations on orbital slots. Industry experts said the satellite, named Vinasat, would help Vietnam save...

Police foil hackers' £220m raid on London bankBy David Derbyshire, Consumer Affairs Editor(Filed: 18/03/2005)An audacious attempt by computer hackers to steal £220 million from the London branch of a Japanese bank has been foiled by police.The crime ring gained access to the Sumitomo bank's computer network and tried to transfer money electronically to 10 bank accounts around the world.   Rumours of an attempted theft had been circulating in the City If the theft had been successful it would have been one of Britain's biggest bank heists. However, the plan was uncovered before any money was stolen.Police in Israel...